“…”
Um.
How did it end up like this…?
Anyway, I think it turned out like this because I said it would be better to get out of here quickly so that everyone wouldn’t worry.
– Hmm~
Esther, who was watching us, let out a strange voice.
– Must be nice, Hero?
What do you mean “must be nice”?Carrying me around must just feel like a bother.
If it were Stella, it would be a different story. She’s a magician who just gets cooped up and researches, and although her figure isn’t exactly stunning, she has a bit of a curvy… feminine figure that would be nice to experience. But I have none of those elements.
Esther seems to know very little about men.
If it were me, I’d be sighing heavily because it would be such a nuisance.
Well… from an objective point of view, I suppose my appearance is somewhat cute. After all, I’ve customized myself quite diligently to look as saintly as possible, so I can confidently say I’m cute enough.
“Don’t say weird things… this is unavoidable.”
Unavoidable, huh…
I think I said that earlier, but like Evan said, we really need to get out of here immediately, so considering that, it wouldn’t be too hard to understand the reason for moving like this.
But that’s only if we disregard my feelings.
I can’t see the surroundings clearly, but from Esther’s reaction and the way my body is swaying, I can tell I’m being carried on Evan’s back.
“[Evan, do you know the way…?]”
“Esther is guiding us.”
Esther?
Ah, now that I think about it, since Esther is probably checking the surroundings in a similar way to me, using her power to figure out the path shouldn’t be much of a challenge.
“By the way… so that’s how you’re observing the surroundings.”
“[… Huh?]”
“No, I was just wondering how you knew everything while claiming you couldn’t see or hear until now.”
“[Ah…]”
Perhaps she was curious but didn’t ask because she thought I would react sensitively.
“[Seems like Esther didn’t tell you, huh.]”
At first, I thought perhaps Esther didn’t know, but it seems that’s not the case.
From what I heard earlier, it looks like she had some expectations, but maybe she wasn’t completely sure, and Evan didn’t ask, so she didn’t respond.
As we talked and walked, suddenly Evan stopped.
“…”
The atmosphere feels strange.
Is he anxious…?
– Be careful… there’s no path other than this one.
“[What…]”
Is there a problem?
Since he said there’s no other path, it seems like something is ahead, so I focused my sensing further ahead.
And,
‘W-what?!’
An ice wyvern…!
In the distant past, when wyverns living in the Northern Region went extinct, they were buried under thick ice and turned into monsters, with only their bones left.
These creatures, having never truly become dragons, are devoid of intelligence, but the grief of being buried alive brings forth a hatred and resentment that makes my head spin with just their presence.
However, since they are monsters created from the magic power scattered by the hand of the end, they are far stronger compared to their original forms. The fact that not all remains infused with magic become monsters is somewhat relieving, as their numbers are relatively small.
In this vast Northern Region’s realm, there are only a few of them, so one can understand just how few there are.
But that reassuring information means nothing to us right now.
Because such a being stands in front of us.
And right here, of all places!
‘This wasn’t information available in the game…’
After all, in the game, it was impossible to end up falling into a ravine like this.
It’s best to avoid fighting if possible.
The wyvern’s body, made of nothing but bones, is enveloped in magic, so my attacks with the sacred sword might be effective, but even if I tried to exploit that weakness, the difference in power is so severe that I can’t say we stand a chance.
Just like me, Evan and Esther seem to share the same thought and slow down their steps, hoping to pass by as quietly as possible.
From the wyvern’s perspective, I hope it perceives us as mere ants passing by and that silently slipping past is the best course of action, but…
Thud…!
“Ugh…?!”
– It seems to have noticed us…
It appears that trying to sneak by quietly isn’t going to work.
I have no idea how it perceived us, but the overwhelming hatred emanating from it tells me it certainly knows we’re here, and it’s filled with thoughts of tearing us apart.
I hurriedly hopped off Evan’s back.
Having me on his back while fighting would be a considerable strain, so for now, I could only offer as many buffs as possible and vacate the spot to avoid getting in the way.
‘I was just about to recover…’
Given how things have turned out, it seems I can’t use my divine power detection until we make it back.
Furthermore, I can’t even stand right now.
Of course, I have enough strength returning to my body, but without proper awareness of my surroundings, I cannot move around standing.
“[Guess there’s no help for it…]”
If Evan loses here, he might die, and unfortunately, I won’t be able to save him until my power fully returns.
So, I have no choice but to cast my blessings to prevent us from being wiped out by the wyvern from the start.
However, there is one problem.
It’s an obvious problem, but I still lack sufficient divine power to properly grant blessings as I haven’t fully recovered yet.
‘The wyvern’s weakness is divine power…’
The most vulnerable being that of purifying divine power.
In the end, it’s like a corpse moving around, and the force giving it the ability to move is that magic.
If only I could purify that magic, it would no longer be able to move and would fall.
I looked down at the precious stone of purification hanging around my neck.
It’s mine for now, but… I can temporarily hand it over.
“[Evan, your hand…]”
Evan extended his hand towards me at my words.
“What’s this for…”
“[Just for a moment…]”
I took his hand.
Who would have thought he had such calluses?Even in this cold, his hand feels warm.
…
This is probably the first time I’ve held a man’s hand like this.
And…
I suddenly realize how small my hand really is.
Taking the precious stone of purification from my neck, I grasped it in one hand while holding Evan’s hand with the other.
And then, I sent forth my divine power.
“[Just a moment… I’ll share my divine power with you.]”
“What? But Aria, you… you’re still not fully recovered…!”
“[… Right now, I have a priority to fulfill before my recovery.]”
We need to subdue that wyvern and return quickly.
The surface will soon be busy with the hand of the end trying to resurrect.
There’s Arhen and Valencia, so holding out won’t be a massive problem for now, but afterwards is where the problem lies.
Without the hero or saint, we can only hope to endure.
So I must hurry back and directly bring an end to it before we can’t hang on anymore.
And to go back, we need to…
“[Focus on facing the enemy in front of you, Evan.]”
Everything hinges on you.
…
Actually, everything doesn’t hinge solely on him.Since Arhen is here, if he just stays put, he will definitely come to rescue us.
Even if the hand of the end awakens soon, it will be significantly weakened, and we know all its weaknesses, so I’m not particularly worried.
‘He will show up too.’
I completely forgot about it, but one member of the hero party is still alive.
I don’t know if he’ll show up now, but in the game, he appeared as a stealthy helper.
Of course, it’s only natural since they are the raid boss.
Anyhow, to cut to the chase, now is a perfect opportunity for Evan to grow.
The opponent is just right, and by using this special situation, I can pretend to put us in a crisis to help him grow as a hero.
“… I understand.”
Just as I thought, Evan seems to have been completely fooled by my act, responding in a voice that’s far more serious than before.
“[Then… I will grant you blessings. After I cast this blessing, I will probably be weakened for a while.]”
Then I hope he moves me well.
Right now, I’m barely holding back the urge to take a hit from the wyvern.
Well…
‘If it goes on a rampage, the ground will probably collapse again, and I can take a free fall or something.’
That should be okay.
As I thought this, I quickly bestowed my blessings.
Along with the sensation of divine power leaving my entire body, the warmth I felt from my hand, like the sun, vanished.
It’s gone. As soon as I thought that, all the strength left my body.
As Evan helped me down gently to a suitable spot, I completely lost all sensing.I needed to take a break and recover some divine power.
Phew…
